Perfect Photo Moment
by DorkPangs
Summary: Colin Creevey has an ulterior motive for following around Harry. What could it possibly be? Takes place in the Sixth Book HBP, in the beginning of the school year.


**Perfect Photo Moment**  
_By DorkPangs _(a.k.a. Green-Beauty)

**Summary:** Colin has an ulterior motive for following around Harry. What could it possibly be? Takes place in the Sixth Book HBP, in the beginning of the school year. But flashes back to OotP.

**Disclaimer:** J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all characters in her series. This fanfic is mine, however, so ask before you use it. Thank you.

**A/N:** Beware, this has femm-slash, so if you've got a problem with it, don't read. This was done in response to Pickle-Kitten's challenge, but mostly to conquer writer's block. It's a one-shot, so tell me what you think.

"Are you in love with him or something?"

"What?"

Colin Creevey had been working on his Transfiguration homework in the library. He had been working in a secluded section, three bookcases acting like a cubicle around him while he sat on the floor with a book to write on, parchment, an inkbottle beside him and a quill in his hands. He had a hard time focusing if he studied with others, and he really needed to bring up his grade in McGonagall's class. He had been concentrating so hard, he hadn't seen Thomas Nott approach and had just barely caught the snide remarks he was sharing with three other Slytherin boys, but he wasn't exactly surprised. Nott was one of the worst Slytherins. For him, anyways.

"I bet you even have a shrine of him. Don't you, you poofter?" He said, sneering at him while his buddies laughed like hyenas.

"What are you talking about?" Colin asked aggravated, putting his homework down.

"Potter. You're obsessed with him; I'd be surprised if that's not a love letter you're writing."

"Shut up!" Colin said aggressively, not wanting to shout. It was a library, after all.

"Aw, you couldn't take the rejection, could you? And you're raising your little brother in your pansy footsteps. Maybe he'll be able to fill your shoes where you couldn't?"

At that, Colin got up from his seat. "Just shut up!"

"Am I hitting a nerve, Creepy?" Nott asked sardonically.

"Why don't you just go back to the hole you slithered out of!" He shouted now, not caring if the librarian came.

Nott's eyes narrowed and the other Slytherins looked ready to pounce on Colin. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you, Creepy."

Daringly, Colin said in a threatening voice, "I'd be more concerned about yours." Colin knew he wouldn't do anything, though. It may be secluded, but everyone knew that if they ever started anything in the library, they'd be banned. Madam Pince could be worse than Filch if she wanted to be. Plus, no one could survive their classes if they didn't have library access.

"Is that a threat, Creepy? I think I'm shaking in my boots, boys," they all laughed stupidly. "The poofter is getting all fluffed; let's go before he takes pictures of us to death," Nott gave Colin one last sneer before he turned away, his cackling entourage following.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Colin slowly slid to the floor. Not hearing the menacing voice of Madam Pince, he figured that no one had noticed -- and then opened his eyes. Apparently, it hadn't been as quiet a confrontation as he thought; people were peering through the bookshelves at him. Seamus Finnigan, a wide smile plastered on his face, came from around the bookshelves and sat next to him.

"You do know that everyone thinks you're obsessed with Harry, right?" Seamus said bluntly, smiling at Colin.

"Well, I'm not," Colin stated angrily, not wanting to deal with Seamus' make-fun-of-everything attitude.

Seamus shoved Colin's shoulder playfully, "So that's why you tag along after him everywhere? C'mon Colin, you can't blame them."

Looking at Seamus, Colin raised his eyebrows. "I can too. Besides, he's not the reason I tag after him anymore."

"Then why?"

"Sorry, my secret. But trust me when I say it's worth the abuse."

"Aw, that's no fair! You can't just tease someone with bits and pieces of a secret."

"You know what the most beautiful thing is?"

Seamus blinked for a minute, before answering, "Huh? Are we having the same conversation?"

"Two women," Colin intoned, holding his hands up. Slowly, he entwined his fingers and said with a raised eyebrow, "Together."

Seamus seemed to double over laughing at that. "Well, that is pretty damn beautiful. I didn't think you were so…"

Colin let his hands fall to hit his lap. "Oh, come on, I've got hormones like any boy."

Seamus continued to laugh, and Colin turned away from him to begin collecting his things. However, Colin winced when Seamus remembered why he had originally come to talk to him. "What's that got to do with why you tag along after Harry, anyways?"

Giving Seamus a look, Colin said, "Everything."

"Really?"

"I'm not telling you." Colin said determinedly, gathering his things into his arms so he could stand. He knew he wouldn't be able to focus now that Seamus was on his case.

"Aw, com' on! You know you're evil, right?" Seamus said, getting up.

"I'm not telling. I'll see you later, Seamus." Colin waved goodbye and left his little cubicle and the library.

As he was walking out, however, Seamus called out after him, "Does he have lesbian groupies or something?"

Colin just shook his head and laughed to himself as several girls stared at Seamus with revulsion.

It happened last school year, after Harry's interview came out in the Quibbler. Colin was coming back from detention with Snape; Thomas Nott had tipped over his cauldron, and he had spilt Colin's potion everywhere. Of course, Snape didn't care; that day Colin lost points and got detention. It had been a bad day. He still had his camera on him, and he was heading up to the common room late that night after vigorously cleaning Snape's classroom. As he was passing a hallway, however, he saw Cho Chang disappear into a classroom. He had seen her with Harry that Valentine's Day in Hogsmead. So… he was curious what she was doing going into an empty classroom that late at night.

Colin could remember it all so vividly:

_He walked slowly down the hall, careful to silence his camera as it swung on his neck. He heard two voices, both feminine, but couldn't make it out until he got to the doorway. He could see the back of another girl standing in the aisle between desks with her hands on her hips. She was clad in a pink nightgown and her thick brown hair was tied back in a French braid._

_He could hear finally hear their conversation clearly. Cho said "--to know that Harry doesn't hate me. Does he?"_

"_He's just confused, but I explained that you couldn't be expected to react any other way." Colin knew that voice, but who?_

_Cho began to speak again, but she spoke so softly he had to get closer to catch the end of it. "…think there's a chance?"_

"_There's always a chance, but do you really think you should be jumping into a relationship with Harry?" Now he knew who that determined voice belonged to: Hermione Granger._

_Again, he couldn't hear her; Cho seemed to get quieter every time she spoke. He was practically peering from behind the doorway now. He could see Cho's black hair on her shoulders, but the back of Hermione's head blocked her face from view. "…I knew it was wrong. It's wrong to Cedric, isn't it? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to meet me," Colin pulled back behind the door as he saw her begin to push pass Hermione._

_He heard the footsteps abruptly stop, and peered around the door. Hermione's face was now blocked by Cho's, whose back was to the door, and Hermione was gripping Cho's wrist. "I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying that you should give yourself some more time to mourn. You're obviously not over Cedric, and--" and at this, Cho apparently broke down and collapsed onto Hermione. Hermione, not used to supporting another's weight so suddenly, slowly slid down to sit on the floor while Cho sobbed into her shoulder._

_Apparently she was saying something to Hermione, but it was unintelligible to Colin. However, he did hear Hermione respond in a soft voice, "Oh, its okay Cho, you don't have to feel so bad. It's not your fault. You didn't kill him, Cho. Stop torturing yourself, just--"_

_Cho interrupted her in a frustrated tone, "I know it's not my fault; that's not why I feel so bad. I feel bad because… I don't know what I feel."_

_Hermione pulled back to look Cho in the eye. "What do you mean? You mean Harry? Well, I always thought you two had a--"_

_Colin couldn't believe what had interrupted Hermione's speech. Cho Chang was snogging Hermione Granger. They were __**snogging**__. And several moments later, they were still snogging. Something clicked in his head that broke his shock, and Colin slowly raised his camera._

_**Click!**_

_Cho suddenly pulled back, as if that click was something that registered in her head what she was doing. "Oh my-- I--I'm sorry. It's just, you were so considerate and kind and soft and… I'm not feeling very good I—"_

_Hermione, however, had recognized the click for what it was. "Who's there?"_

_Colin tried to pull away from the doorway, but he was caught and knew it. She got up hastily and stomped over to him, "Colin!"_

_Cho stood up shakily, red spreading over her cheeks. She looked angry, hurt, and confused all at the same time. Mostly, though, she just looked pissed at him._

_Hermione was worse; she grabbed his camera, and despite his protesting hands, popped open the back, took out the film, threw it on the floor and stomped on it. Finally, turning back to him, she gave him her worse glare, and Colin actually feared for his life. At the very least, he was sure she could ruin his grades with the influence she had with the teachers._

_Hermione suddenly put a finger in his face and shook it with every syllable, "You speak a word of this to anyone, and you will wish you'd never been born."_

_Colin merely nodded, too scared to do much else. He knew he was going to have to tread __**very**__ carefully around her from now on._

"_Go to the common room; you're lucky to still have a camera."_

_As he quickly left the room, he heard Hermione say to Cho, "Wait, Cho, we need to talk."_

"_I can't talk right now. I don't know what I'm doing. I… I have to go. It's late anyhow."_

"_I __**will**__ be talking to you tomorrow."_

_At the end of the hallway, he waited to see Hermione stare after Cho as the girl walked away, surely with tears still streaking down her cheeks._

Ever since then, Colin had been determined to catch one of them in the act again. And people wondered why he followed Harry around so much; why did he have to be following Harry?

**a/n:** Hope you enjoyed it… thanks for reading, but don't go half-way. Review please!

**aa/n:** I wanted thank those of you that reviewed my little blurb here. I've edited it to make it all grammatically/chronologically correct and added a line or two of description, not much else.

**yaa/n:** If you have any questions about any of my works or maybe want to give me a plot bunny/challenge, visit my forums (from my profile page) and make a new topic in the appropriate forum. (Questions in **Curiosity Never Killed Me** and challenges in **Challenge Me**.)


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